Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 2882910

Red Huckleberry

Vaccinium parvifolium

Also known as Red Bilberry, Red Whortleberry

Red huckleberry is a deciduous understory shrub renowned for sprouting directly out of decaying conifer nurse logs and rotting stumps in Pacific Northwest rainforests. Bright green, sharply angled stems support thin, oval leaves and translucent, coral-red berries that ripen by midsummer. Specialized mycorrhizal relationships allow the plant to draw vital nutrients from highly acidic, rotting wood beneath dense coastal tree canopies.

DeciduousForest UnderstoryBerries
Red Huckleberry reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Don Loarie · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Autotrophic (photosynthetic)
Predators
  • American Black Bear
  • Varied Thrush
  • Douglas Squirrel
ThreatsClearcut logging, canopy removal, and heavy soil compaction
HabitatsTemperate rainforests, conifer woodlands, and decaying nurse logs
Life span50–100 years
Classification
  1. OrderEricales
  2. FamilyEricaceae
  3. GenusVaccinium
  4. SpeciesVaccinium parvifolium
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Wild berries have toxic look-alikes; never eat based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Substrate Clues: Look for bushes perching directly on decaying nurse logs and rotting tree stumps.
  • Branch Identification: Run fingers gently along stems to feel their distinct, bright green square ridges.
  • Seasonal Timing: Search dense coniferous understories in midsummer when translucent red berries appear.
Related species
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